At Cleveland Water Alliance, innovation has always been central to our mission of addressing the critical challenges facing Lake Erie and advancing the region’s water economy. One of the earliest and a significant initiative in this effort was Erie Hack, a multi-city competition designed to foster creative solutions to some of Lake Erie’s most pressing issues. While the competition no longer runs, the impact of Erie Hack has been instrumental in shaping our Smart Lake Erie Watershed as well as our Open Innovation Challenge, and has firmly established Lake Erie as a hub for water technology innovation.
Erie Hack was created based on a growing need to address the pressing challenges facing Lake Erie through a lens of innovation and collaboration. In 2016, Cleveland Water Alliance set out to start a competition that would bring together diverse groups to generate cutting-edge ideas for solutions on water-related issues.
The idea for Erie Hack quickly gained momentum. Cleveland Water Alliance partnered with local organizations, securing funding and support in multiple cities around the Lake Erie basin. With ideation sessions held in Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, and Buffalo, the competition focused on building teams and creating an environment where participants could collaborate and refine their water technology solutions.
By 2017, Erie Hack had officially launched, and through the collective efforts of participants and partners, the competition laid the groundwork for what would become a central part of our innovation strategy, setting the stage for future initiatives like the Smart Lake Erie Watershed and the Open Innovation Challenge.
Erie Hack was designed to engage a wide spectrum of participants, including scientists, entrepreneurs, technologists, and students. It provided a platform for them to collaborate, form teams, and address key challenge statements related to Lake Erie’s water quality, pollution, and resource management. Each of the participating cities hosted ideation sessions and days where teams could work on their projects and receive mentorship from experts in the field.
Local competitions were held in each city, where teams pitched their solutions to panels of judges. The best-performing teams would continue to move to the next round. The competition would conclude with final pitches, panels, and discussions on the role of technology in solving water challenges. Winning teams were awarded cash prizes and had opportunities to advance their projects further through continued mentorship and support.
Notably, many of the top-performing teams focused on water quality monitoring, reflecting the growing importance of technology in addressing Lake Erie’s water quality issues. The competition also sparked early discussions that contributed to the development of what would become the Smart Lake Erie Watershed (SLEW), an initiative focused on using sensor technology to monitor water quality in real time.
The competition allowed Cleveland Water Alliance to build critical relationships with funders, partners, and stakeholders, and provided invaluable insights into the landscape of water technology innovation. Erie Hack also drew national attention, with media coverage from NPR and other outlets, further establishing Cleveland Water Alliance’s reputation as a leader in water technology innovation.
Through Erie Hack, we gained a deeper understanding of what it would take to create lasting, impactful solutions for Lake Erie and beyond. While Erie Hack was successful in generating interest, partnerships, and innovative ideas, the competition also highlighted certain challenges. Many of the projects, though innovative, remained in early stages and were not yet ready for market. This realization prompted Cleveland Water Alliance to rethink its approach, ultimately leading to the development of a new initiative aimed at fostering market-ready solutions.
Recognizing the need to move beyond early-stage concepts, Cleveland Water Alliance transitioned from Erie Hack to building out the Smart Lake Erie Watershed (SLEW), creating an avenue for market-ready concepts to test and trial their technology within a variety of real-world conditions.
This growth in innovation programming also led to the development of the Open Innovation Challenge. This pivot was driven by the need to identify specific solutions to meet market-driven needs, like in-home contaminant detection or technology that can meet the needs of legislation-mandated lead service line identification. Unlike Erie Hack, which primarily fostered ideation, the Open Innovation Challenge emphasizes the demonstration and validation of technologies to ensure they are ready for real-world deployment.
Through the Smart Lake Erie Watershed and Open Innovation Challenge, we are able to provide more robust support for innovators, helping them bring their technologies closer to market and ensuring they have the resources needed to succeed.
Erie Hack’s legacy remains deeply ingrained in Cleveland Water Alliance’s ongoing efforts. The competition provided a platform for collaboration, innovation, and education, and helped establish the foundations for many of the partnerships and initiatives we continue to pursue and grow today. Erie Hack also solidified Lake Erie’s role as a key player in the water technology space, enabling Cleveland Water Alliance to attract the attention of funders and stakeholders who continue to support our mission.
As we look back on Erie Hack’s impact, we are reminded of the importance of collaboration and the power of innovative thinking in addressing the complex challenges facing our water resources. The competition may have ended, but the ideas, relationships, and lessons it fostered continue to drive our work forward as we build a more sustainable future for Lake Erie and beyond.
This blog is part of a series celebrating Cleveland Water Alliance's 10-year journey of innovation and impact. As we look back on our history, we’re proud to highlight the achievements and milestones that have shaped our organization
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